The 1920s Shelor Motor Company Building embodied Houston's ambitions as much as the Astrodome would a generation later — but it also contributed to an urban, pedestrian-scaled life that is the key to Houston's sustainable future.

Nevertheless, I find it discouraging that we fall so far behind other American cities when it comes to fostering innovative examples of our built environment. Chicago, Los Angeles and New York all offer far richer tableaus of what our world can be. As someone who has made a commitment to ensuring that students understand the role of the past in informing, not restricting, the future, I am saddened that we have so few examples of respected historic structures in Houston.

The Shelor Motor Company Building at 1621 Milam Street is a gem of a historic structure, offering a glimpse into what Houston was like prior to air-conditioning, highways, and stucco. Chevron has an opportunity to reuse this structure in an innovative manner that would also activate the urban realm at the level of the pedestrian (ironically by re-animating a structure built for cars). The essay author, Charles Renfro, makes such a compelling case for why this building matters. I hope that Chevron will reconsider its decision to obliterate this part of Houston’s history.

Sarah Whiting, professor, Rice School of Architecture

Curious claims

Regarding “Don’t mess with Texas’ or Houston’s success” (Outlook, Thursday): Donald Trump Jr. is shoveling misinformation. He wrote “President Trump’s tax cuts are saving Houston family nearly $1,400 per year, on average.” That is technically correct but totally useless to the average person.

Derek Miller, a certified educator in personal finance, analyzed how the president’s tax breaks help Houstonians by breaking the population into four categories: those with annual income less than $20,000, less than $60,000, with $250,000 or more, and $1.5 million or more. Houstonians in the first two categories will see no tax cuts. Houstonians in the latter two categories will see $5,831 and $28,931, respectively. In other words, it’s a tax cut for the rich.

Anthony Bristol, Houston

Sowing, reaping

Regarding “Deficit chickens” (Editorial page): The GOP lost its credibility on fiscal issues nearly 40 years ago when President Ronald Reagan convinced the public that, using supply-side economics, we could cut taxes, grow the economy, pay the country’s expenses and balance the budget.

At that time, the national debt was less than $1 trillion; by the end of Reagan’s presidency the national debt had tripled. It is fair to say that supply-side economics did not work as promised. Today, President Donald Trump and the GOP are telling us the same story with the same results. They refuse to learn from its mistakes.

During the ’90s, President Bill Clinton balanced the budget, ran surpluses, expanded the economy and began making payments to reduce the debt. We know what it takes to balance the budget, but the GOP still believes in supply-side economics despite evidence to the contrary.

The GOP simply lacks the courage to admit that its economic policies have not worked. Instead, Republicans have decided that cutting Social Security, Medicare and health insurance